Nurses issue strike threat over pay deal

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) has threatened to call for a nationwide strike within a week over delayed signing and implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed last year.

Knun has also indicted the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) board of management for allegedly barring nurses from joining the union insteadof Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).

Deputy secretary general Maurice Opetu said they will also mobilise members to down tools in solidarity with their KNH counterparts if they are forced to remain in an “amorphous” union.

“KNH nurses will not resume work until they are allowed to be members of a union of their choice. They should not be forced to be members of an amorphous entity,” Opetu said.

National chairman Joseph Ngwasi said KNH board chaired by David Kimaiyo is to blame for the suffering patients have been subjected to.

“The board should be held responsible for the suffering patients have been subjected to. Such simple things should not happen. This is due to failure by the board to sign a recognition agreement with a duly registered union despite simple majority nurses having duly signed the forms to be members,” Ngwasi added.

He urged Health Cabinet secretary Sicily Kariuki to intervene and resolve the impasse. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 Health workers in Homa Bay have threatened to go on strike if the county government fails to pay them salaries on time.

The health workers said for the last 10 months their salaries have not been paid on time. Led by Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Homa bay branch secretaryBen Otieno, they said their statutory deductions have also not been remitted regularly over the same period.